Dead latch structure



13, 1956 T. B. LINTON 2,770,480

DEAD LATCH STRUCTURE Filed March a, 1954 s sheewsneex 1 HTToR/vgv.

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Nov. 13, 1956 T. B. LINTON 2,770,480

- DEAD LATCH STRUCTURE Filed March a, 1954 :s shets-sneef 2 THQ/vies B. L/NfroY/v Filed March 8, 1954 T. B. LINTON DEAD LATCH STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 THOMAS' B. L/N'Td/v BY MQW Arron/wav.

United States Patent O DEAD LATCH STRUCTURE Thomas B. Linton, Huntington Beach, Calif., assignor to Kwikset Locks, Inc., Anaheim, Calif., a corporation of California Application March 8, 1954, Serial No. 414,571 7 Claims. (Cl. 292-169) This invention relates to a dead latch and, more partioularly, to a dead latch wherein the retractor incorporated therein is `actuated in'a reverse direction to cause the retraction of a main bolt and its associated auxiliary bolt.

The dead latch of my invention is of the general type wherein the dead locking llever associated with the main bolt and designed to prevent unauthorized retraction of said Amain bolt engages an abutment provided in the interior of the housing so that if such unauthorized retraction of the main bolt is attempted the end of the dead locking lever will engage said abutment to prevent further lretraction of said main bolt.

One of the major problems encountered in prior art dead latches of the character under consideration has been the effective movement of the dead locking lever between dead locking Iand inactive positions so that the normal retraction of the main bolt and the associated auxiliary bolt can be accomplished. Part of the problem has arisen because of the limited confines of `the housings of conventional dead `latches and it has usually been found necessary to provide means associated with the dead locking lever which extends beyond the confines of the housing so that sufficient movement may be achieved to remove the dead locking lever from its dead locking position.

llt is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a dead latch which includes a housin-g having a dead locleing abutment therein .and which incorporates a dead locking lever which is movable out of operative relationship with the abut-ment during the initial rotation of the retractor incorporated in said dead latch, the need for providing linkage means to inactivate the dead lock-ing lever which extend beyond the housing of the dead latch or are disposed externally thereof being eliminated.

Another disadvantage of prior art dead latch con* structions has been the fact that the -means for moving the dead locking lever from dead locking to inactive positions is usually quite complex in construction and involves complicated linkages and extensions which materially increase the complexity and cost of manufacture of such dead latches. i

Another object of my invention is the provision of a dead latch which includes main and auxiliary bolts, the main bolt having operatively associated therewith a dead locking lever which is engageab-le with `an integral abutment provided in the housing of the dead latch, said dead latch including a retractor slide for operating a rotatably mounted retractor and said rotatably mounted retractor having operatively associated therewith means for moving the dead locking lever from operative to inoperative positions as the retractor is rotated to cause the retraction of the main bolt and its associated auxiliary bolt.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a dead latch of the aforementioned character wherein the retractor and the means for moving the dead locking lever from operative to inoperative positions are formed 2,770,480 Patented Nov. 13, 1956 as a vsingle member rotatably `mounted intermediate the ends of the dead latch housing so that the movement of the dead locking lever Lfrom operative to inoperative positions is accomplished simultaneously with the rotation of the retractor to withdraw the main and auxiliary bolts into the interior of the dead latch housing.

It is obvious that the integration of the retractor `and the means for moving the dead locking lever from operative to inoperative positions materially simplifies` the construction of the dead latch of my invention and red-uces both the complexity and cost of manufacture thereof.

An addi-tional object of my invention is the provision of a dead latch of the :aforementioned character wherein the main bolt is provided with a rearwardly extending, integral extension, said extension being provided with a longitudinal slot for the reception of the upper end of the retractor so that lrotation o-f said retractor by its associated retractor b-ar will cause said retractor to impinge upon the inner end of said slot and cause the retraction of the main bolt and its associated auxiliary bolt.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a dead latch of the aforementioned character wherein the dead locking lever is movable by the rotation of said retractor upwardly into the aforementioned slot in said bolt simultaneously with the retraction of said main bolt by said retractor so that the dead locking lever is disposed in an inoperative position within said slot wherein it will not engage upon the dead locking abutment or` upon any contiguous portion of the dead latch assembly or housing.

It is a general object of my invention to provide a `dead latch which is constituted of a minimum number of easily assembled component parts and which can be manufactured at reasonable cost. p

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent yfrom the `following specification and the accompanying drawings which are for the purpose of illustration only and in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional View of a dead latch constructed in accordance with my invention showing the dead locking lever thereof maintained in inoperative position by the :action of the auxiliary bolt associated y therewith;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the dead locking lever disposed in operative relationship with the dead locking abutment in the housing of the dead latch;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing theldead locking lever moved into its inoperative position within the slot in the main bolt extension by the action of the lug on the rotatable retractor;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on the broken line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical, partly sectional view taken on the broken line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a vertical, partly sectional View taken on the broken line 6-6 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical, partly sectional View taken on the broken line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. l thereof, I show a dead latch 10 constructed in accordance with my invention, said dead latch being incorporated in an elongated tubular housing 12, upon the outermost end of which is integrally formed a. face plate 14 receivable in a mortise provided in the edge of a door, not shown, in which said dead latch is mounted. Although the housing 12 may be fabricated in any conventional manner, in the present embodiment `of my invention it is formed by die-casting, or analogous processes, as a one-piece unit thus eliminating the expense and time involved inthe assembly of housing components which lis encountered in conventionally fabricated dead latch constructions.

Disposed within the interior of the housing 12 is an elongated, reciprocable retractor slide or bar 16, the inner end of which is bifurcated, as at 17, to provide upper and lower arms 19 engagejable by upper and lower portions of a spindle 21 mounted transversely of the inner end of the housing 12. The spindle 21 extends through a transverse bore 23, Fig. 4, provided in the inner end of the housing 12 to urge the retractor bar 16 outwardly toward the outer end of said housing to accomplish the retraction of a main bolt 24 and an auxiliary bolt 26 mounted in the outer end of the housing 12.

The retractor bar 16 is provided with laterally extending, integral ilanges 27 and 29, the outer edges of which are disposed adjacent the side of the housing 12 and serverto guide the retractor 16 in the housing 12 during its longitudinal movement therein as caused by the spindle 21, as best shown in Figs. 4-6 of the drawings. The retractor bar 16 is provided with a centrally located web 31 in whichis formed a transverse opening 33, said opening being located intermediate the ends of said retractor bar. A laterally extending boss 35 is formed upon the outermost end of the lateral flange 29 and engages the lower portion 37 of a rotatably mounted retractor 38 which is mounted upon a transversely oriented pivot pin 39 and extends through the opening 33 in the web 31 of the retractor bar 16. The upper portion 41 of the retractor 38 is engageable with the main bolt 24 to accomplish the retraction thereof, in a manner to be described in greater detail below.

The main bolt24 is provided with a slot 43 at one side thereof, said slot having a dead locking lever 44 pivotally mounted therein on a pivot pin 45 disposed transversely thereof. A spring 47 located in the slot 43 urges the dead locking lever 44 downwardly to juxtapose the inner end 49 thereof in operative relationship with a dead locking abutment 50 formed integrally with the interior of the housing 12. The underside of the dead locking lever 44 is cut away, as at 53, and is provided with a camlobe 55 adjacent its point of pivotal mounting on the pivot pin 45. A laterally extending arm 57 formed integrally with the inner end of the auxiliary bolt 26 engages the underside of the dead locking lever cam lobe 55 to accomplish the movement of the dead locking lever 44 from operative to inoperative positions, in a manner to be described in greater detail below.

`The auxiliary bolt 26 is, as best shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, provided with a rearwardly extending, integral extension 61 which is receivable in `an elongated bore 63 provided lin the housing 12. A compression spring 65 is located in said bore and is designed to urge the auxiliary bolt' 26 from the outer end of the housing 12.

The main bolt 24 is provided with a centrally located bore 67 in which, is disposedy a compression spring 69, the inner end of which is mounted upon a longitudinally extending, integral seat 71 on the outermost end of the retractor bar 16. The compression spring 69 causes the main bolt 24 to be moved outwardly from the outermost end of the housing 12 and, in addition, urges the retractor bar 16 rearwardly in the housing 12. Thus, the one compression spring 69 serves both to eject the bolt 24 from the housing 12 and to return the retractor bar 16 to its innermost, inoperative position.

Formed integrally vwith the inner portion of the main bolt 24 is a longitudinally oriented, integral extension 73 having an elongated slot 75 provided therein. The upper surface of the extension 73 is curvilinear, as best shown in Figs.v and 6 of the drawings, and conforms to the configuration of the housing 12, the extension 73 thus serving to stabilize the bolt 24 in its movement in the housing 12.

The elongated slot 75 communicates with the slot 43 in the bolt 24 and the dead locking lever 44 is movable upwardlv into the slot 75, as best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, when said lever is urged into its inoperative position. Furthermore, the upper portion 41 of the retractor 38 is located in the inner end of the slot 75 and engages the end thereof so that when the retractor bar 16 is longitudinally moved within the housing 12 by the upward movement of the spindle 21, the rotation of the retractor 3S will cause concomitant rearward movement of the upper portion 41 of said retractor to cause the movement of the extension 73 and thus the main bolt 24 in a rearward direction in the housing 12. n

When such rearward movement of the extension 73 and the main bolt 24 occurs, the compression spring 69 is compressed within the elongated bore 67 in the bolt 24, as best shown in Fig. '4 of the drawings, by the combined outward movement of the retractor bar 16 and the in ward movement of the main bolt 24.

Formed integrally with the retractor 33 is means 80 for moving the dead locking lever 44 between operative and inoperative positions, said means being constituted by a laterally extending lug 81 on the retractor 38 which is located intermediate the upper and lower portions 41 and 37, respectively, of said retractor. The inner end of the dead locking lever 44 is normally disposed in engagement with the lug 81, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, when the main bolt 24 is extended and the auxiliary bolt Z6 retracted to locate the arm S7 of said aux iliary bolt in its innermost position adjacent the inner end of the dead locking lever 44. Therefore, should an attempt be made to jimmy, or otherwise cause unauthorized retraction of the main bolt 24 into the housing 12, the inner end of the dead locking lever 44 will slide across the upper surface of the lug 81 and impinge upon the dead locking abutment 50 provided in the interior of the housing 12. Thus, the lug 81 does not interfere with the normal operative relationship between the dead locking lever 44 and the dead locking abutment 50 provided in the housing 12.

The operation of the dead latch 10 of my invention is as follows: When the door, not shown, in which the dead latch 10 is installed is open, both the main bolt 24 and the auxiliary bolt 26 will be extended from the housing 12 by their respective springs 69 and 65. When the aux ilia'ry bolt is extended from the housing, the arm 57 formed integrally therewith engages the cam lobe 55 on the underside of the dead locking lever 44 and urges the dead locking lever 44 in an upward direction, as best shown in Fig. l of the drawings. Therefore, when the main bolt 24 and the auxiliary bolt 26 engage the strike, not shown, on the jamb of the opening in which the door with which the dead latch is associated is mounted, the main bolt 24 is permitted to move freely into the housing 12 of the dead latch 10 against the bias of the spring 69 since the inner end of the dead locking lever 44 is moved by the action of the arm 57 of the auxiliary bolt 26 into a position in which it will not engage the dead locking abutment 50 in the interior of the housing 12.

When such retraction of the main bolt 24 and the auxiliary bolt 26 takes place, there is, of course, no move ment of either the retractor bar 16 or the rotatable retractor 38, retraction of the main and auxiliary bolts 24 and 26 into the housing 12 of the dead latch 10 being accom plished solely by the impingement thereof against the aforementioned strike.

After the main bolt 24 has entered the opening inthe strike, the auxiliary bolt 26 is maintained in its innerA most position in the housing 12 of the dead latch 10 against the bias of the spring 65 because of the impingement of the auxiliary bolt 26 against the strike. In this position, the arm 57 of the auxiliary bolt 26 is located in the cut out 53 onthe underside of the dead locking lever 44 adjacent the innermost end of said dead locking lever and the dead locking lever is urged downwardly by the ac tion. ofthe spring 47 into overlying relationship with the upper surface of the lug 81 which constitutes the means for inactivating the dead locking lever and is also juxta posed to the dead locking abutment 50 interior of the housing 12.

When the dead locking lever `44 is located in the position shown in` Fig. 2 ofthe drawings, an attempt to jimmyor otherwise force the unauthorized retraction of the main bolt 24 into the interior of the housing 12 will be frustrated by the engagement of the inner end of the dead locking lever `44 upon the dead locking abutment 50 since the inward movement of the main bolt 24 will cause the dead locking lever 44 to be carried inwardly therewith and to impinge upon the dead locking abutment 50, thus preventing further inward movement of said main bolt.

When it is desired to voluntarily release the main bolt 24 from operative engagement with the aforementioned strike, the spindle 21 is rotated, as best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, to cause the longitudinal movement of the retractor bar 16 toward the outer end of the housing 12 urging the laterally extending boss 35 on the retractor bar 16 into engagement with the lower portion 37 of the retractor 38 and causing the concomitant rotation thereof about the pivot pin 39. lWhen such rotation of the retractor 38 occurs, the upper portion 41 thereof is urged against the end of the slot 75 in the bolt extension 73 to cause the inward movement of the main bolt 24 against the bias of the compression spring 69.

It will be noted that, as the retractor bar 16 moves outwardly toward the outer end of the housing 12 of the dead latch 10, concomitant inward movement of the main bolt 24 occurs and` the compression spring 69 is thus fully compressed in the elongated bore 67 in the interior of the bolt 24, as best shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

As the rotation of the retractor 38 is initiated by the longitudinal movement of the locking bar 16 in the above described manner, the lug 81 on the retractor 38 causes upward movement of the inner end of the dead locking lever 44 raising said inner end of said dead locking lever upwardly so that inward movement of the main bolt 24, as caused by the rotation of the retractor 38, will not result in the impingement of the inner end of said dead locking lever against the dead locking abutment 50 to prevent further inward movement of the main bolt 24. As the rotation of the retractor 38 is continued, the lug 81 engages the cutout 53 in the underside of the dead locking lever 44 and the dead locking lever 44 is urged from its operative position in contiguity to the dead locking abutment 50 into an inoperative position in which its upper end is disposed in the slot 75 in the main bolt extension 73.

The action of the lug 81 on the retractor 38 in moving the dead locking lever 44 from its operative to inoperative positions is augmented by the inward movement of the main bolt 24 which co-operates with the lug 81 in causing the ultimate disposition of the inner end of the dead locking lever 44 in the slot 75 of the main bolt extension 73.

After the spindle 21 is released subsequently to the freeing of the main bolt 24 from operative relationship with the aforementioned strike, the retractor bar 16 is urged inwardly toward the inner end of the housing 12 of the dead latch by the action of the compression spring 69 which simultaneously ejects the main bolt 24 from the dead latch housing 12.

As the main bolt 24 is urged outwardly from the housing 12 of the dead latch 10 by the action of the compression spring 69, the main bolt extension 73 will cause the rotation of the retractor 38 about its associated pivot 39 to move said retractor into the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In this manner, the single compression spring 69 serves the triple function of returning the retractor bar 16 to its inoperative position, of ejccting the main bolt from the housing 12, and of returning the retractor 38 to its inoperative position with respect to the retractor bar 16.

When the main bolt 24 is in its extended position, as

provided in the best shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, it is prevented from undue extension from the housing 12 by the impingement of the end of the slot 75 in the main bolt extension 73 againstthe upper portion 41 of the retractor 38. Furthermore, the impingement of the laterally extending arm 57 of the auxiliary bolt 26 on the rearward portion of the main bolt 24 prevents said auxiliary bolt from being unduly extended from the housing 12 by the action of the compression spring 65 associated therewith.

I thus provide by my invention a dead latch which is constituted by a minimum number of easily assembled component parts and which includes a rotatable retractor having integrated therewith means for causing the movement of an associated dead locking lever from operative to inoperative positions simultaneously with the rotation of said retractor.

Another salient feature of the invention is the provision of a single compression spring which causes both the ejection of the main bolt from the housing and the disposition of the retractor associated therewith in its normal inoperative position. In addition, the aforementioned compression spring also urges the retractor bar associated therewith into its normally inoperative position..

I claim as my invention:

l. In a reverse action dead latch construction, the combination of: a housing; a main bolt mounted in the outer end of said housing having an elongated extension formed integrally therewith having engagement means thereupon; an auxiliary bolt in said housing; a dead locking lever pivotally mounted in said main bolt actuable by said auxiliary bolt; a retractor bar spaced from said main bolt slidable in said housing, said bar being movable between a first, rearmost position in said housing and a second, outermost position in said housing; and a retractor located ahead of said bar and pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of said housing. having a portion at one end normally engaged by said retractor bar to permit the rotation thereof thereby and another portion at the opposite extremity thereof en gaged with said engagement means to retract said main bolt into said housing and an intermediate rotatable portion between said extremities engageable with said dead locking lever to retract the same.

2. In a reverse action dead latch construction, the combination of: a housing; a main bolt mounted in the outer end of said housing having an elongated extension formed integrally therewith having engagement means thereupon; an auxiliary bolt in said housing; a dead locking lever pivotally mounted in said main bolt actuable by said auxiliary bolt; a retractor bar spaced from said main bolt slidable in said housing, said bar being movable between a lirst, rearmost position in said housing and a second, outermost position in said housing; and a retractor pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of said housing ahead of said retractor bar and having a portion at one end movably engaged by said retractor bar to cause the rotation thereof and another portion at the opposite extremity thereof` engaged with said engagement means to retract said main bolt into said housing, said retractor including means intermediate said extremities engageable with said dead locking lever to inactivate the same by engagement therewith during the rotation of said retractor.

3. In a reverse action dead latch, the combination of:` a housing; a main bolt in said housing having an exten-` sion provided thereupon; an auxiliary bolt in said housing; a dead locking lever operatively connected to saidj auxiliary bolt; a retractor bar spaced from said main bolt'v slidable in said housing; and a retractor pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of said housing ahead of said bar and having one extremity engaged by said bar and an other extremity engaged with said extension to cause theretraction of said main bolt, said retractor having means.. intermediate said extremities for rendering said lever in-` operative simultaneously with the retraction of said bolt.

Y4. In a reverse action dead latch, the combination of a housing; a r'nain bolt in said housing having an extension provided thereupon; an auxiliary bolt in said housing; a dead locking lever pivotally mounted in said main bolt and operatively connected to said auxiliary bolt; a retractor bar spaced from said main bolt slidable in said housing; and a retractor pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of said housing ahead of said bar having one extremity engaged by said bar and another extremity engaged with said extensionV to cause the retraction of said main bolt upon outward movement of said bar toward said bolt, said retractor having means intermediate said" extremities for rendering said lever inoperative simultaneously with the retraction of said bolt.

5. In a reverse action dead latch, the combination of: a latch case having an abutment therein intermediate the ends thereof; a main bolt in said latch case; an auxiliary bolt juxtaposed to said main bolt in said latch case; a dead locking lever pivotally mounted within said latch case rand engageable with said abutment; and a rotatable retractor mounted intermediate the ends of said latch case in advance of said abutment for simultaneously retracting said main and auxiliary bolts, said retractor hav ing a portion thereupon located ahead of said abutment and rotatable with said retractor for urging said lever out of engagement with said abutment concomitantly with the retraction of said bolts.

6. In a reverse action dead latch, the combination of: a'housing; main and auxiliary bolts mounted in said housing; a retractor bar spaced from said main bolt movable toward the outer end of said housing to retract said bolts; a rotatable retractor mounted intermediate the ends of said housing in advance of said bar, said retractor having its lower end engaged with said bar andA itsv upper end engaged with said mainv bolt; a dog on said retractor intermediate said upper and lower ends; and

a dead locking lever pivotally mounted in said main bolt and engageable by said dog to render said lever inopera tive during the retraction of said bolts. l

7. In a reverse action dead latch, the combination of: a housing having main and auxiliary bolts therein, said main bolt having an integral extension above its longi tudinal axis and said extension having a longitudinal slot therein; a dead locking lever pivotally mounted in said main bolt and movable into said slot; a retractor bar spaced from said main bolt slidablein said housing, said bar having a spring seat on its outermost end and a transverse opening therein; a main bolt spring on saidv References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,403,597 Hillgren July 9, 1946 2,424,782 Voight July 29, 1947 2,516,991 Heyer Aug. 1, 1950 2,661,972 Schlage Dec. 8, 1953 

